Multi-contact connector provided with detachable terminal hood plates

ABSTRACT

A multi-contact connector provided with easily detachable terminal hood plates made of elastic insulating material for the protection of the terminals. The hood plates can easily be mounted on the terminal block by inserting guide members into guide holes provided in the terminal block and be held the position by engagement of tapered projections with steps provided in the guide holes of the terminal block. The plates can easily be removed when wiring by dislocking above engagement using elasticity of the plates.

United States Paten n91 Izumida et a1.

. [451 Apr. 30, 1974 MULTI-CON'IACT CONNECTOR PROVIDED WITH DETACHABLE TERMINAL HOOD PLATES [75] Inventors: Tatsuo Izumida; Yasuo Watanabe;

Shinichi Morita, all of Tokyo, Japan [73] Assignee: Bunker Ramo Corporation, Oak

Brook, I11.

[22] Filed: Nov. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 307,567

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Nov. 18, 1971 Japan 46-107433 [52] US. Cl 339/176 M, 339/198 J, 174/138 F [51] Int. Cl. H0lr 9/00, HOlr 13/50 [58] Field of Search 339/63, 103, 107, 143 R, 339/143 C, 176 R, 176 M, 198, 276 A, 149-151;.174/138 F; 317/122 [5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,420,055 5/1947 Sanders 339/150 B 2,673,970 3/1954 Miloche et a1. 339/198 J 3,154,365 10/1964 Crimmins 339/91 R X 2,985,861 5/1961 Rogofl' et a1 339/198 S FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,113,303 12/1955 France 339/198 G 4/1959 Great Britain 174/138 F Primary ExaminerB0bby R. Gay Assistant ExaminerLawrence J. Staab Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Silverman & Cass ABSTRACT 1 ing above engagement using elasticity of the plates.

4 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures momma,

PATENIEDAPR 30 ism SHED 3 BF 3 MULTl-CONTACT CONNECTOR PROVIDED WITH DETACHABLE TERMINAL HOOD PLATES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multi-con'tact connector provided with terminal hood plates for protecting terminals from contacting to other terminal blocks or elements.

2. Description of the Prior Arts A great number of multicontact connectors for establishing multiple wiring are used in various technical fields such as numerical controlling devices, communication equipments, etc. One example of the conventional multi-contact connector is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in this figure, the conventional multi-contact connector comprises a connector block 2 in which a number of terminals 1 are molded to form an aligned terminal array. In order to prevent the terminals 1 being damaged by some outer force or causing an erroneous electric contact to other terminals, it is known to provide a metallic terminal hood 3 as shown by dotted line in FIG. 1. By provision of such metal terminal hood 3, a cross-contact of the terminals with other connector terminal may be avoided. However, on the other hand, as the terminals are surrounded by the metallic terminal hood, the wiring to the terminals becomes troublesome. Furthermore, provision of such metallic terminal hood tends to cause cross-contact with the terminals. In order to prevent an occurrence of such cross-contact between the terminal hoods and the terminals it has been usual practice to make the interval between the terminal hood 3 andend la of the terminal 1 to be comparatively wider. But this results overall'size of the connector to be large.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION- The present invention has for its object to provide a multi-contact connector easily be made compact construction. The connector is characterized in providing two terminal hoods made of elastic insulating material such as synthetic resin which can be mounted easily on a connector block by merely inserting their projections into guide holes of the connector and being easily detached from the connector block by merely applying a small pulling force to the terminal hood plates. By the provision of such terminal hood' plates, the multi contact connector according to the present invention is very conveniently used for wiring by dismounting said terminal hood plates. Also the connector has ad'- vantages in that the insulating terminal hoods can be mounted very closely to the contact terminals which contributes to make the multi-contact terminal ina more compact construction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to make the invention more clear, the present invention will beexplained by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1' is an explanatory perspective view of a conventional multi-contact connector;

FIG. 2a is a front view of a male member of a multicontact connector made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2b is a back view thereof;

FIG. 2c is a cross-sectional view along line A-A' of FIG. 20;

FIG. 2d shows a plan view of a terminal hood plate made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2e is a plan view of a female member of a connector of the present invention;

FIG. 3a is a plan view of a male contact member of the connector of the present invention mounted with terminal hood plates;

FIG. 3b is a bottom view thereof;

FIG. 3c is a front view thereof;

FIG. 3d is a rear view thereof;

FIGS. 32 and 3f are left side view and right side view thereof, respectively; and

FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c show various steps of mounting and dismounting a terminal hood plate on a connector block in the cross-sectional view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 2a-2e show various views of a multi-contact' connector according toone embodiment of the present invention. In FIGS. 2a and 2b, 4 denotes block of the male connector 8 accommodating a number of male terminals 5 arrangedin one row at middle of the block 4; As can be seen more clearly from the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2c, the male terminals 5 are molded in the block 4 at constant interval and project their both extremities from the block 4. The upper ends of the terminals5 in FIG. 20 are used for wiring and the lower ends thereof are used for coupling with female contact members of the female member 12 shown in FIG. 2e.

.at both sides of the terminals 5 at close proximity thereto and at same distance from the terminal array. The grooves 6 and 6 are arranged in two rows. Between the grooves 6 and 6 in one row two guide holes 7 for guide members 11 of the terminal hood plate 9 are provided. As shown in FIG. 2c, the guide holes 7 have narrow width portions therebetween. Said guide holes 7 are aligned with respective grooves 6 and 6'.

The terminal plates 9 is made from an elastic insulating material such as a synthetic resin material and its shape is shown in FIG. 2d. Two identical terminal hood plates 9 are used for one male terminal block. The terminal hood plate 9 has two end projecting members 10 and one center projecting member 10. The members 10 and 10 are used for defining the mounting location of the terminal hood plate 9. The terminal hood plate 9 has also two guide members 11 at middle of the projecting members 10 and 10'. The guide member 11 has top portion 11a and outwardly tapered projection 11b and supporting members 110. The tapered projecting portion 1 1b defines a sharp step at top level of the projecting members 10 and 10'.

FIG. 2e shows a female member 12 having female block 13 and a number of female contacts 14. The mounting of terminal hood plates can be effected in the same manner with the case of a male member but for the sake of clarity detailed explanation is omitted.

FIGS. 3a-3f show various views of a male connector 8 mounted with two terminal hood plates 9 and 9 and coupled with a female connector 12.

Now referring to FIGS. 4a-4c, mounting and detaching of the terminal hood plates 9 will be explained. When mounting the terminal hood plate 9 on a male connector member, the guide members 11 and projecting members and 10 are inserted into respective guide holes 7 and grooves 6 and 6 provided in a male block. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4a, the tapered projections 11b of the two guide members 11 are pressed inward by outside inner surfaces of the narrow width portions 7a of respective guide holes 7 and the guide members 11 are bent inward against its resilience force. The resiliency of the plate is selected to be a suitable value by considering the material of the hood plate 9 and the shape of the guide member 11 and its tapered projections 1 1b so that the plates may easily be inserted into the guide hole 7 guided by the outer side surfaces. At the position shown in FIG. 4b, the guide members 11 become normal position as the tapered projection 11b come at a position of wide width portion 7b. The projections 11b are engaged with the step portions 7c of the guide holes 7. At this position, the top surfaces of the projecting members 10 and 10 abut with bottom of the grooves 6 and 6 and to define the coupled location and the hood plates are held in position by the shape of the grooves 6 and 6 abutting with'the top of members 10 and 10.

When the terminal hood plate 9 is to be removed from the block, the plate 9 is simply pulled off by hand. In this case the projections 11b arebent downwards by the step 7c against the elastic force of the supporting portion of the member 11 and the member 11 is bent inwards and finally the tapered projections 11b are disengaged from the steps 70 of the guide holes 7.

The elasticity of the hood plates and thickness and configuration of the terminal hood plates 9 especially that of the portion 11 are to be suitably chosen to allow an easy dislocking of the terminal hood plates and a steady engagement on the block.

In accordance with the present invention, the multicontact connector is very easily be arranged for its wiring by removing said terminal hood plates and after the completion of the wiring the hood plates can easily be mounted on the block so that the hoods properly protect the wiring portion of the terminals of a connector. In accordance with the present invention, as there is no need to particularly widen the intervals between the wiring terminal array and the terminal hood plates so that the connector can be made compact. Since insulator terminal plates are used, said interval can be narrowed further.

In the foregoing explanation, the terminal hood plates are explained in case of mounting for male block but as mentioned above, the same is applied for a case of female connector block.

The terminal hood plate 9 may, according to the need, be provided. with a necessary number of wiring holes 16 connected to one end of the plates through a narrow guide recess '15. Such wiring holes 16 are very conveniently used for holding and arranging the wirings. In the drawings, two holes 16 are provided, but this is only an illustrative example and not limiting the invention.

As explained in the foregoing, according to the present invention a compact multi-contact connector provided with terminal hood which can be easily detached for easy wiring is realized. A various modifications of the invention are possible without departing the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. The combination of a multi-contact connector having a plurality of contact terminals supported in a contact block and extending therefrom, with a detachable terminal hood plate made of elastic insulating material and mounted in said contact block adjacent to said terminals, wherein the combination is characterized by said hood plate having a plurality of members projecting from one edge thereof, including an end projecting member at each end of said edge,

a center projecting member intermediate said .end

projecting members, and

two guide members, each respectively intermediate said center projecting member and one of said end projecting members, and each projecting further from said one edge than said end and center projecting members,

said contact block having aligned grooves adapted to receive said end projecting members and said center projecting member, and having guide holes aligned with said grooves and adapted to receive said guide members, said guide members having detent means thereon engaging the walls of said guide holes and tending to retain said hood plate in conjunction with said contact block when said guide members are inserted in said guide holes.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide members each have a tapered projection extending transversely therefrom, and the guide holes are provided with a step against which said tapered projection engages. I

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal hood plate has a plurality of apertures therein adjacent to the edge thereof opposite said one edge thereof.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said apertures extends to said opposite edge of said terminal hood plate through a slot narrower than said aperture. 

1. The combination of a multi-contact connector having a plurality of contact terminals supported in a contact block and extending therefrom, with a detachable terminal hood plate made of elastic insulating material and mounted in said contact block adjacent to said terminals, wherein the combination is characterized by said hood plate having a plurality of members projecting from one edge thereof, including an end projecting member at each end of said edge, a center projecting member intermediate said end projecting members, and two guide members, each respectively intermediate said center projecting member and one of said end projecting members, and each projecting further from said one edge than said end and center projecting members, said contact block having aligned grooves adapted to receive said end projecting members and said center projecting member, and having guide holes aligned with said grooves and adapted to receive said guide members, said guide members having detent means thereon engaging the walls of said guide holes and tending to retain said hood plate in conjunction with said contact block when said guide members are inserted in said guide holes.
 2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the guide members each have a tapered projection extending transversely therefrom, and the guide holes are provided with a step against which said tapered projection engages.
 3. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal hood plate has a plurality of apertures therein adjacent to the edge thereof opposite said one edge thereof.
 4. The combination as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of said apertures extends to said opposite edge of said terminal hood plate through a slot narrower than said aperture. 